Malcolm Turnbull has suffered double-digit falls since October on competency, social policy, being open to ideas and having a firm grasp of economic policy. Alex Ellinghausen

The characteristics were tested in the latest month Fairfax/Ipsos poll which sampled the views of 1402 voters from Thursday night to Saturday night last week.

The issues were last tested in October, 2015, a month after Mr Turnbull rolled Tony Abbott for the leadership and was enjoying a honeymoon with voters.

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The latest poll shows that his biggest fall since then has been in the ability to get things done. In October, 74 per cent believed Mr Turnbull "has the ability to make things happen" but after seven months of government indecision and little concrete action, that has fallen 25 percentage points to 49 per cent. He still betters Mr Shorten, who scores 32 per cent, which is no change since October.

Mr Turnbull's next biggest fall from grace comes in the category of "strong leader".

In October, 75 per cent of voters regarded him as so but that has fallen 20 points to 55 per cent. Mr Shorten remains unchanged on 31 per cent.

In October, 70 per cent backed the Prime Minister as having "a clear vision for Australia's future" but that has fallen 19 points to 51 per cent, which is still well ahead of Mr Shorten on 34 per cent.

Confidence of the party

Mr Shorten beats Mr Turnbull by 58 per cent to 50 per cent when it comes to "having the confidence of his party" but in October, before a series of backbench revolts over policy, and interventions by Mr Abbott, Mr Turnbull was beating Mr Shorten by 67 per cent to 58 per cent..

Mr Turnbull has also suffered double-digit falls since October on competency, social policy, being open to ideas and having a firm grasp of economic policy.

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But on all, except social policy, where Mr Shorten beats him by 54 per cent to 47 per cent, he outperforms his rival.

On the all-important grasp of economic policy, Mr Turnbull has fallen from 80 per cent to 66 per cent while Mr Shorten is unchanged at 38 per cent.

Laura Tingle

Approval rating

Two-party polling based on preference flow at the last election. The poll results are based on a national survey of 1402 respondents (aged 18+) conducted by telephone from April 14-16, 2016. Data is weighted by age, sex and location.

Preferred PM

Phillip Coorey

PM back in the land of the political mortals

Two-party

SOURCE: IPSOS | GRAPHIC: MICHAELA POLLOCK

Coalition holds winning lead

The parties are neck and neck

Primary vote

The Coalition's primary support has shrunk

Malcolm Turnbull's lead is narrowing

The gap in approval ratings is still significant

PM back in the land of the political mortals

FAIRFAX IPSOS POLL

Mr Turnbull's trustworthiness rating has fallen 7 points to 51 while Mr Shorten;s is again unchanged on 36.

Fairfax has been polling the 11 characteristics since 1995 and Mr Turnbull, despite his recent plunges, still does well in comparison with his forebears, both Labor and Liberal.

His competency rating has fallen from 83 per cent – a poll record – to 70 per cent, which is well above Mr Shorten's 49 per cent and eclipsed only by John Howard (73 per cent) and Kevin Rudd (74 per cent), both in the 2007 election year.

His 51 per cent trustworthiness rating was only bested by Mr Howard (66 per cent) and Mr Rudd (54 per cent) in 2007 and matched Mr Howard in 1995.